Machine for inturning tube ends



June 13, 1944. c. L. DEWEY 2,351,020

mcunm FOR INTURNING TUBE nuns Filed Nov. 14, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 13, 1944. c L. DEWEY MACHINE FOR INTURNING TUBE ENDS '3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 14, 1942 c. L. DEWEY MACHINE FOR INTURNING TUBE'ENDS June 13, 1944.

Filed Nov. 14, 1942 s sheet-sma s V Patented June 13, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,351,020 MACHINE ron INTURNING TUBE nuns Clarence L. Dewey, Elkhart, Ind. Application November; 14,1942, Serial No, 465,628 4 Claims. (01. 78-89) The machine of the present invention is designed to inturn the end of a metal tube in order to close or partially close the end under heat developed by friction so that, particularly in the case of the complete closing of the tube for which the machine is particularly designed, the resultant end formation will be thoroughly welded and of any thickness desired which permits the end to be tapped or otherwise fabricated in the construction of bombs, tanks, or closed receptacles or the like.

The construction of the machine is one which permits the end formation of the 'tube to be rounded in varying degrees from a truly hemispherical configuration to one approaching a conical formation by suitable adjustments which may be made during the reducing operation to progressively press in the end wall of the tube until a complete closure is effected and until the end wall is thickened to the desired degree, and these adjustments can be varied during the reducing operation to best meet the requirements 'of various kinds of tubing depending upon the diameter, wall thickness, quality of the metal and the degree of heat which it is desirable to develop during the reducing operation.

Further objects and details will appear from the description of the invention in conjunction with accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l is afmnt end view of a machine embodying the features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same; I

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional elevation taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Figures 5, 6. 7, and 8 are details showing variations in the range of movements required in imparting varying degrees of curvature to the end closure of .sections of tubing.

- The machine as a whole-is carried by a base comprising spaced side beams I and cross beams H, the side beams being reenforced at their forward ends by angle bars 12. The side beams carry top rails l3 which provide supports for the thereon to accommodate tube sections of varying lengths which will .now' be described.

The mechanism for mount n and rotatin the tube section is carried by a box-like standard l4 having flanged end walls l5 and connecting side walls l6 which end walls are elongated .to provide bridge extensions l1. the ends of. which are carried by rabbeted slide bars H! which are adjustably mounted upon the rails 13 and are clamped thereto in properly adjusted position by underlying clamp platesl9 through which are entered bolts 20. The standard 14 carries a journal casing 2| which provides a mounting for front and rear roller bearings 22 through which mechanisms which may be adiustably mounted is journaled a shaft 23 carrying a grooved pulley 24 at its rear end which is driven by belts 25 carried round a driving pulley 26 on the shaft 21 of a motor 28 which is mounted on a bridge plate 29 secured to the slide bars l8.

Th forward end 30 of the shaft 23 is reduced and threaded. into a, block 3! which is secured by bolts 32 to a chuck plate 33 whichhas' welded to its forward face a pair of spaced side flanges 34, reenforced by ribs 35 which side flanges are connected by top and bottom flanges 3G and 3-1 I giving to the forward face of the chuck plate 33 a box-like configuration.

The chuck plate afiords a mounting for a pair of clamping blocks 38 which are adjustably held between the side flanges 34 and are guided by over-lying clamping plates 39 secured by bolts 40. The' clamping blocks 38 are forced inwardly by upperand lower set screws ti and 42, and each is provided on its front face with a halfcylindrical tubular clamping shell 43 having reenforcing ribs 44 which arrangement'permits the rear end of a length of tubing to be abutted against the clamping blocks, and thereafter tightly clamped into position in axial alignment with the shaft 23 by the tightening of the set screws 4| and 42.

It will be understood, however, that the formation of the chuck may be otherwise modified where it is necessary to clamp a section of tubing having a reduced end or otherwise specially configured. The chuck arrangementshown is one which serves to tightly grip and reenforce the tubing throughout the major portion of its length allowing the end to project forwardly therefrom 'the extent required to subject it to the reducing operation now to be described.

' Near the forward end of the machine is located a carriage which comprises rabbeted slide bars 45 mounted upon the rails 13 and held in position by under-lying plates 46 secured by bolts 41. The slide bars have mounted thereon spaced 'fi'ontand rear bridge bars 48 and 49 each of which is provided on its inner edge with an undercut V notch 50, the upper wall of which is faced by a bearing plate 5| which plates in unison furnish a slide bearing for a transversely adjustable slide platform 52 having in its undercut face a guide rib 53. the ed es of which a e undercut to re ister with the bearin p ates 5!. The longitudinal movement i imparted to the I triage, and the mechanism su ported thereby through the" medium of a feed screw 54 which is threaded throu h a nut 55 carr ed by a bra ket 56 fixedly secured to the rear rail I ii. The forward end of the feed screw is journaled within a hanger-bracket 51 secured to the front bridge bar 48 and the feed screw carries a b led pin on 58 meshing with the bevel d pinion 59 on the end of an obliquely disposed spindle 60 entered through a bracket 6| secured to the bridge bar, the spindle carrying a hand-wheel 62 at its outer end which permits manual adjustment of the feed screw to advance the carriage inwardly toward the tubing as the reducing operation pro gresses.

The slide platform 52 is movable transversely of thecarriage, and has secured thereto and is bored to receive the upper end of a. cylindrical journal casing 63 which is closed at its lower end by a head plate 64 and affords a mounting for upper and lower roller bearings 65 and 66 which in conjunction afford a mounting for a vertical shaft 61 which has keyed thereon a large spur-gear 68 which in turn has bolted thereto an oscillating platform 69 which partakes of oscillating movements imparted to the spur-gear.

The spur-gear is in mesh with a rack. 10 which I is held in position by a guide bar ll bolted to an angle beam I2 which comprises a portion of a supplemental frame suitably secured to the end of the slide platform, which frame also affords a mounting for a fluid pressure cylinder 13 which operates a piston 14 on the end of a reciprocating piston rod secured to the end of the rack, fluid pressure being alternately admitted through ports 16 and 11.

The slide platform 52 is transversely adjusted by a hand-wheel I8 at the outer end of a feed screw 19 entered through a nut 80 depending from the base of the platform. The oscillating platform 69 is channeled on its upper face to afford over-hanging guide flanges 8| faced by slide bearing plates 82 which furnish a mountingfor obliquely faced guide ribs 83 formed on the under-face of a slide plate 84, the guide ribs being spaced to provide clearance for a boss 85 on the oscillating platform through which the reduced upper end-of the shaft 61 is entered and locked by a key 86.

Slide plate 84 is provided with a .post 81 reenforced'by ribs 88 and provided with a shouldered recess 89 adapted to receive a block 90 of extremely hard and refractory material which is held in place by an over-hanging clamping plate 9| secured by a bolt 92. ,The slide plate 84 is adjusted by means of a feed screw 93 threaded through 9. lug 94 and rotated by a hand-wheel 95 which bears against a plate 96 on the oscillating platform 69.

The refractory block is the ultimate operating tool which imparts pressure under' friction to the end wall of the tube section and progressively shaft stands substantially in alignment with the Operation With the chuck support adjusted and clamped .in position to accommodate tube sections of the desired length, a tube section is clamped into position within the chuck, and the oscillating frame swung into, the transverse position shown in Figure 3, and with the carriage advanced to bring the refractory block and the vertical oscillating shaft into. the dotted line positions shown in that figure, the machine is properly adjusted to begin the end closing operation.

Fluid pressure is thereupon admitted to the forward end of the cylinder 13 which imparts a rearward thrust to the rack and imparts an inward and forward oscillation to the refractory block. With the slide platform adjusted as in Figure 3, the vertical axis of oscillation will stand laterally outside of the end of the tube so that the radius of the oscillating movement of the refractory block will be greater than twice the radius of the tube itself with the result that the arc of movement will at the beginning only slightly depress the butt end of the tube wall on its forward sweep.

It will be noted that at the beginning of the operation, the axis of the vertical oscillating end of the unreduced tube as indicated in dotted lines so that at the beginning the inward or radial component of the oscillating movement will b slight as compared with the longitudinal com- Alundum is an artificial aluminum which is made by heating bauxite in an electric furnace, and for present purposes it is desirable to use a block of the material in its crystalline condi-- tion, as it comes from the furnace and without further treatment other than to give to its acting .face a comparatively smooth surface for contact with the metal wall of the tube.

component of each oscillating cycle during which the refractory block is in contact with the metal wall which is meanwhile being rotated at a high rate of speed so that as the operation continues, a progressively greater contact between the refractory block and the tube wall will be maintained thereby increasing the friction and developing a very high fusing temperature as the metal walls approach the axis of the tube with the result that at the final point of closing contact,-a fusing temperature will be maintained; and if desired, the operation can thereafter be continued which will serve to additionally increasethe thickness of the metal at the tip or nose of the tube.

By rotation of the hand-wheel 18, the vertical axis of oscillation can be adjusted to vary the radius of movement of the refractory blockso that where a more gradual reduction in diameter or a more nearly conical formation is desired, the axis can be adjusted to a more distant position from the tube wall or in like manner it can be moved inwardly until its mounting under-lies the tube axis in which latter position a truly dome-shaped or hemispherical closure will result as indicated in Figure 5. I

Although for most purposes, a fixed adjustment of the vertical axis of oscillation will be maintained throughout the complete reduction of the tube section, it may be desirable in some circumstances to progressively reduce the radius of oscillation concurrently with the backward travel of the carriage with the result that the initial inward deflection of the metal will be comparatively gradual and will be increased in abruptness as the metal softens under increasing temperature and until the adjustment required to produce the intended ultimate configuration of the tube closure is attained.

The speed of oscillation of the refractory block can be regulated in proper ratio to the speed of rotation of the tube, but under ordinary conditions a speed of two or three oscillations per second with an r. p. m. of 2000 has been found satisfactory, and in actual use a block of alumina will resist any appreciable abrasion for a long period of time even when subjected to high fusing temperatures so that frequent renewal thereof is not necessary. The adjustment afforded by the hand-wheel 95 permits the refractory block to be brought into proper contact with the surface of the tube at the beginning of the operation so that it will be maintained throughout the operation at a distance equal to the outside radius of the tube, and the range of movement of the piston 76 is so regulated that each oscillation will carry the re- I 3 lating member with respect to the axis of the tube section, and a forming tool carried by the oscillating member and positioned to engage the more distant end edge wall of the tube section. '2. In a machine of the class described, the

combination of a base frame afiording a track way, a chuck for engaging the rear end of a tube section and a carriage mounted on the frame, means for imparting relative longitudinal movement between the chuck andthe carriage, 'means for imparting rotation to the chuck, a slide frame mounted for transverse adjusting movements on the carriage, an oscillating platform carried by the slide frameand mounted to swing on an axis extending transversely to the axis of the tube section carried by the chuck, adjusting means for adjustingthe slide frame on the carriage to vary the lateral spacing between the axis of the oscillating member and the axis of the tube section, a forming tool carried by the oscillating platform and positioned center of the tube so that a complete closure of the tube will be effected if the operation be continued throughout; although it will be understood that the machine is equally adapted for use in cases where a partial closure only of the tube is desired and in which the operation will be discontinued after the carriage has been moved inwardly to an extent necessary to effect the desired degree of closure.

Although I have shown a construction in which the carriage which supports the oscillating mech-.- anism i progressively moveable longitudinally and in which the rotating tube is held against longitudinal movement, it will be understood that like results may be accomplished by a construction in which the tube is advanced or a construction inwhichthe tube is held stationary, and the refractory block is revolved around the tube and either the block or the tube moved longitudinally with relation to the other and, unless otherwise welding temperature may be found most desirable.

I claim? 1. In a machine of the class described, the

1 combination of a chuck member adapted to en-,-

gage the -rear end of a tube section and present its forward end in position to be acted upon, a carriage located in laterally spaced adjacent re- -lation to the forward end of the tubesection, means for imparting-relative longitudinal and to engage the more distant end edge wall of the tube section and swing inwardly toward the tube axis during each oscillation, and power means carried by the slide frame for oscillating the platform.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a base frame affording a trackway, a chuck for engaging the rear end of a tube section and a carriage mounted on the frame, means for moving the carriage longitudinally toward the chuck, means for imparting rotation to the chuck, a slide frame mounted for transverse adjusting movements on the carriage, an oscillating platform carried by the slide frame and mounted to swing on an axis extending transversely to the axis of the tube section carried by the chuck, adjusting means for imparting adjusting movements to the slide frame to vary the lateral spacing between the axis of oscillation and the axis of the tube section, a forming tool carried by the oscillating platform and positioned to engage the more distant end edge wall of the tubesection and swing inwardly toward the tube axis during each oscillation, and a piston operated rack and gear carried by the slide frame for oscillating the platform.

4. Irr a machine of the class described, the combination of a frame, a chuck member rotatably mounted on the frame and adapted to engage the rear end of a tube section and present its forward end in position to be acted upon, a carriage located in laterally spaced adjacent relation to the forward end of the tube section,

rotational movements between the carriage and v vtive transverse movement therebetween for laterally adjusting the position of the: axis of the osciling said member against movements relative to I the frame, and for adjusting the position of the pivotal axis thereof both laterally and longitudinally with respect to the axis ofthe tube section, a tube deforming tool slidably carried by the oscillating member, and means operably associated with said tool for imparting reciprocatory I adjusting movements thereto.

I masses 1. nawmr. 

